BIFF harassment foiled in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 19): BIFF harassment foiled in Maguindanao

Government troops foiled an attempt by an outlawed armed group to overrun an Army detachment in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao past midnight Thursday.

Capt. John Arvin Encinas, Army’s 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said an undetermined number of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attempted to attack the Alpha Company Detachment of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Meta at around 1 a.m.

“They just wanted to show they are still a force to reckon with,” said Encinas.

At present, soldiers manning detachments along the Cotabato-Maguindanao-Isulan, Sultan Kudarat highway have been placed on heightened alert following the death of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute in Marawi City.

Encinas said prior to the attack, soldiers using night vision devices noticed movement of people in the dark and moving toward the Army base.

This prompted the government forces to open fire and a brief encounter ensued. Nobody was hurt on the government side but Encinas could not say if the attackers suffered casualties.

The foiled attack came after joint Army and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) arrested Tuesday a BIFF bomb expert and seized from him bomb-making materials.

On Wednesday, soldiers belonging to the 22nd Mechanized Company of 2nd Mechanized Battalion also recovered high-powered guns and ammunition from a certain BIFF Commander Abunawas Bayawak.

On the same day, joint police and military operatives raided the house of a Maguindanao town councilor but missed him.

Sr. Supt. Agustin Tello, Maguindanao police director, said elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), backed by the Provincial Public Safety Battalion, had raided the house of Councilor Jayton Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao, but was not in his home during the operation.

The councilor is a brother of Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom who was killed in an anti-drug police operation in Makilala, North Cotabato, last year.

Armed with the search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 13, Tello said the raiding units search Dimaukom’s house and found an unlicensed cal. 45 pistol and ammunition.

Police and CIDG operatives said the raid was conducted after intelligence reports confirmed he was keeping unlicensed guns.

Dimaukom is the chair of Barangay Salbo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao and president of the local Association of Barangay Captains. He sits in the town council as ex-officio member.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/1013272